Afro-American house gecko, Cosmopolitan house gecko, Afro-american house gecko
The tropical house gecko, Afro-American house gecko or cosmopolitan house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia ) is a species of house gecko native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is also currently found in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, where it has been inadvertently introduced by humans.
The Tropical house gecko is a species of house gecko native to Africa. Being nocturnal, it has very large eyes which are useful in spotting prey in low light conditions. It can change color (slowly) from light brown to a darker brown to better match its surroundings.
Tropical house geckos occur in sub-Saharan Africa and live predominantly in urban locations. However, these geckos can also be found in semi-desert, savannah, scrubby areas, and woodlands.
Tropical house geckos are solitary arboreal creatures. They typically hunt by night various flying and crawling insects. They have even learned to wait near outside wall-mounted lighting fixtures so as to catch the insects that are drawn to the light. As with many gecko species, Tropical house geckos have the ability to vocalize. Their vocalizations range from quiet peeps to rapid short squeaking sounds. They may be heard most easily on a quiet night when they are sitting near an open window.
Tropical house geckos are carnivores (insectivores) feeding on spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, moths, grasshoppers, anoles, and other geckos.
Tropical house geckos breed throughout the year and males use chirping sounds and pheromones to attract females. Each female lays only 2 eggs but may lay up to 7 clutches per year. Incubation usually takes between 22-68 days. The young hatch precocial (well developed); they are don't require parental care and become reproductively mature at the age of 6-12 months.
The Tropical house gecko doesn't face any major threats at present.
According to IUCN, the Tropical house gecko is common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.